Banning Flock Cameras in Lafayette

Banning Flock cameras may be a far reach but the goal is to remove and prevent further cameras from being placed. This petition is not, by any means, intended to fear-monger. This petition's purpose is to bring the concern's of Flock cameras to the attention of the city council. As of now, this topic has not been discussed because they believe the residents of Lafayette do not care about being surveilled. You may have been fed the lie that it is for catching criminals and running plates. But did you know they are gathering data on you? On the car you drive, where you have been, how long you have been there, etc. To what extent are they going to let this go on?

You may be saying, "Why should I care, I have nothing to hide?" but the Flock company and the government is relying on you saying that. It is like saying, "I don't care about freedom of speech because I have nothing to say". But if one thing is true is that America is the land of the free and we deserve to speak up about our privacy and being monitored like specimen. We are not tools and we are not guinea pigs. We deserve a say on our rights. That is democracy.

It is important to consider, was there no alternative to these cameras?

• Is the police force being lazy?
• How did they get the funding for these cameras? (each is about $3,000)
• How is my data being stored and protected?
• Will this invite data centers to the Lafayette area? (Data centers have been shown to increase electricity bills for people in close proximity of them.)
• Do your morals align with this? (If you feel unsettled by the situation, say something!)
• How can we guarantee POC won't be discriminated against?
• Is any of the data being shared with ICE?
• Who has access to the data?
• If there is nothing wrong with AI and these cameras why is the government labeling activists of anti-ai as terrorists?

This source also lists ways in which Flock has been used and could be used in the U.S. It lists real threats like Flock creating an infrastructure for corporate blacklisting. Blacklisting has been done in the past and it prevents a person from getting a job, etc. The people blacklisted weren’t always criminals, they were activists. The article explains, “These private databases, such as the San Diego Research Library and the Western Goals Foundation, were shared with police and government security agencies and took on quasi-official roles in the efforts of police “intelligence” arms to combat those progressive movements, while remaining outside the normal checks and balances of government”(Stanley, 2025).

Finally, I invite everyone to read the book 1984. It is a fictional book but it tells a story of a mass surveillance society (Very short summary but I attached a video summary for convenience). Please do not let us reach that point, it is far fetched to say, sure, but our current government is slowly reflecting parts of the book.
https://maps.deflock.org/?lat=39.9899&lng=-105.0942&zoom=15.04 (deflock - AI cameras in Lafayette)

Just because these AI cameras are not a big problem now, does not mean they won't be in the future. I use emotion-laden language to garner attention but also because I feel frustrated about the situation we are currently in. If you feel the same way share this petition with family, neighbors and friends.

In summary:

• We the residents of Lafayette deserved to know about these cameras being placed.
• Information on these cameras should be sent out to all residents
• Flock Cameras are not welcome
• We deserve privacy
• Don't be afraid to speak up!